'You can't keep it out
It's coming through the walls
To devastate your heart
And to take your soul.'
Florence + the Machine
Seven Devils
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This feeling was confusing. Everything I was reading was telling me my life was simply smoke and mirrors. Betrayal from family and clarity of my own self. A toxic remedy. Myth versus fact. I ran my fingers through my hair, folding myself over and pressing my forehead to the floor.
"Why is this happening?" I whispered to the wood grains, my eyes pooling. The only response was the cool wind whistling outside.
Suddenly, a booming slam inches from me brought my heart into my throat. In a quick snap I was upright, looking at the trunk that was now closed…like magic. Creepy-ass ghostly magic.
I trembled and quickly stood, backing away defensively as I stared at the now closed memories. "What the f-"
The sound of a knock came from down the stairs, cutting me off and stealing the attention from the trunk. An uncontrollable quickening in my breath made me feel more anxious. The pounding of my heard was causing a head rush. I moved carefully, yet quickly. I needed to know who was here at nine o' clock at night while hardly a light was on in the house. Snatching the old baseball bat from the corner as I passed to the ladder, I descended, slowing my approach as I inched closer. I tried to peek out the window to no avail as the front door neared. It was too shadowy out there. I could have been opening the door for a murderer, a shapeshifter, a vampire, or perhaps a secret government agent who came to take me away to an experimental lab.
Maybe they were coming to put me in a padded room.
Out of anything running through my mind, I was rooting for murderer to up my chances at a little normalcy.
I flicked on the outside light and peeked again, meeting a pair of large, golden amber eyes. My hand recoiled from the curtain instantly and my body stiffened. Every hair on my body stood on end, a prickly sort of numbness seeping over me. Technically, Alice, with my newly confirmed hunch, could be classified as a murderer. A dark corner of my mind snarked at me, reminding me to be careful what I wished for. According to everything I had just read, she supposedly wasn't bad, just "misunderstood" or some bullshit like that. I wouldn't chance being stupid. A vampire is a vampire. There was a part of her that thirsted for human blood, no matter how much she probably would deny it. If I was something…different…this wasn't the time be nonchalant, because she could decide that I would be a menu item before I had a chance to even react.
"Valerie?" Alice called, causing me to jump and clutch with one hand at the bat that I realized was useless now. "Valerie, it's me. Alice Cullen."
She saw me. Of course, she did, she probably heard me coming. I couldn't very well ignore her now. Mentally reminding myself to stay calm, I yanked the door open with one hand, while the other still clung to the baseball bat at my side.
"Oh!" Alice's face shifted from sickly-sweet surprise to a sickly-sweet smile. Alice was always so nice to me, and the conflict of knowing she could kill me instantly and feast on my entrails faster than you can say 'ramen' was tearing me up inside. Then, there was the little twinkle of a reminder that her family left Bella to fend for herself when they obviously knew something bad would happen, like that other vampire in the woods, Laurent.
I cringed. Assholes.
"Hello, Valerie," Alice said softly, like speaking to a baby deer. "It's been a while, hasn't it-"
"Yeah, you could say that," I snapped, trying not to shake out of my skin out of fear and rage. "Why are you here?"
Alice sighed as her smile fell to apologetic. "Right to the point is best, I suppose. I came to check...how things are here. Are Bella and Charlie home?" She stepped forward.
For God's sake, how does this vampire stuff work? Does she need an invitation? She's been here before though, I think, so that wouldn't matter now. Dammit, what would Buffy do?
"No," I put my own body more in the doorway.
"Oh, I was hoping to talk to them," she slumped. "Do you know when they'll be home? It's just, I don't really have anywhere else to go tonight. Maybe you can fill me in on what's happened since we left? I'm honestly surprised to find you here."
"Maybe you should call ahead the next time you want to drop in unannounced on the person your brother dumped. Goodnight, Alice," I moved to close the door, but Alice shoved half her body into the house to catch the door, causing me to flinch in terror.
"Please," she cried out, holding my gaze. "Please, Valerie. I know we left suddenly and you obviously don't want to talk. I understand that. But…I just need to see Bella."
Damn Alice and her innocent face, I was falling for what was probably a trick. I didn't know why this was so important for her. Hesitantly, I stepped aside. There was no way that I would be able to resist letting her in all night. She would force her way in if it came to it. I didn't say a word. Alice stepped inside.
I wish I knew for sure if she had been here before. 'Vampires need a verbal invitation' would be a nice myth to verify.
Alice closed the door softly and then bounced a little. "So, how have you been?" she asked. Something was off about her. The smile that she bore was convincing, but there was a fake element behind it that made my stomach uneasy. Had it always been fake? I thought highly of her before this.
"I'm fine," I lied in an aggressive tone.
"Is your aunt out of town? Why are you here?"
"Are you seriously questioning me about why I am here?" My emotions leaked through in a bark as I spat venom at Alice. "This is my family's home, Alice, which is more than I can say about you. I belong here. I have a right to be here. What's your excuse?"
"I…" Alice stuttered, clearly taken aback. "I'm sorry. I just…I didn't see you here. I mean, I didn't expect you."
Confused, I stared with a stony expression. She didn't see me here?
"I didn't mean any offence," she added quickly.
As Alice looked at me, I took in the sadness that hung from her eyes. Something was wrong. It was the only explanation of why someone like her would come back. When Laurent had spoken in the meadow, he made it sound like they would never be coming back. What could possibly bring her back and make her look so miserable? Other than my uncharacteristically cold shoulder…
The front door opened, pulling me out of my own thoughts. Alice's eyes were inhumanly quick to shift to the body moving into the shadowy entrance. It was Bella, coming slowly into the room without even looking up. Her damp hair hung in her face. When the door finally closed, her eyes lifted and widened, falling on Alice, who in turn began to cry.
"A-Alice?" Bella leapt at the disturbingly distraught vampire, embracing her tightly.
"Bella? How –"
"I can't believe this. Is this real?" Bella rambled as she touched Alice. I backed away, uncomfortable from how easy it was for my cousin to be okay with this bloodsucker.
"Bella, would you mind telling me how you're –" Alice froze and looked at me uneasily, golden eyes piercing my soul. "Maybe we should talk in private, Bella."
"Bella," I shifted my eyes to her and spoke sternly, showing how much I distrusted the entire situation. "Are you sure about this?"
"Of course I am," she almost yelled with joy before leading Alice Cullen to the living room, talking about the recreational cliff diving experience she apparently had, explaining her damp appearance.
As I backed into the kitchen my hands tore through my hair. This couldn't be real. There was a vampire in my uncle's living room, I was the offspring of witches hiding in the kitchen, and –
And there was a shapeshifter on the front lawn, pacing.
Jacob.
I hadn't seen him since I snuck to his house. Even after having a hunch about what he was trying to tell me, I couldn't bring myself to say it to him. Beside that, my sneaking out left me more grounded than I had ever been. Now, seeing him there with clear frustration pulsing through him, confirming that what I thought he was wasn't completely crazy in comparison to everything else, I had such a strong urge to run to him. Jacob deserved to know that I understood, regardless of everything else. That much I owed him.
Jacob's pattern quickly shifted and he lined his sight straight at the door. My feet were determined to meet him there and, before he could even knock, the door was ripped open by my hand.
"Valerie," he froze, hand poised and ready to strike the door before I interrupted him.
Seeing Jacob, looking into his chocolate eyes, I felt another rush of terror. My breathing accelerated. It was possible that my being whatever the hell I was would change everything forever. Jacob was entrusted with the task of guarding the world from evil things, inhuman beings, and I didn't know how closely my new status treaded along those lines. There was no way to predict what he would think, or what he would have to do to me. But the fact of the matter was that in everything that I had just read, Jacob's kind didn't even know witches existed. Ultimately, I had to swallow my hesitations about him and what might become of us. There was something much darker in the house, something that made my blood curdle.
Something that left my mother an orphan.
"Jake," my voice trembled.
"I haven't seen you since… I guess I thought maybe you would have figured…" Jacob trailed off, shaking his head. "I guess it doesn't matter now. Look, Val –"
"Jacob," my breath caught in my throat. "I'm scared."
My words hit him like a hammer. Drooped shoulders began to tense and he took a step back.
"Oh. So, you did, then." He scoffed at himself. "God, why did I think you wouldn't freak out –"
"Jake –"
"No," he cut me off with a hand, backing away further. "I understand. Just…look, I promise you'll never have to interact with me again but I need you to do one thing. I need you to get out of the –"
"You don't understand." I quivered, emotions bubbling to the surface as I listened to Jacob talk as though it were him I was referring to. "Jake, it's not you I'm afraid of." Not at this moment.
"What?"
"The Cullens," my eyes darted uneasily to the living room and back to him. "Please tell me I'm imagining all of this. Tell me I'm wrong."
"Oh," he rushed forward. A softer yet intense look crept onto his face as he grabbed me and pulled me tightly against him. "Valerie, hey. It's okay."
I gripped his black shirt tightly in my fists. His warmth spread through me, making me suddenly aware of how cold I was. "Tell me I've gone crazy. Tell me that ever since that fieldtrip to the power plant I've been in a coma and that none of this is real."
Jacob never let go of me as he moved forward, backing me up towards the kitchen and swinging the front door shut as we moved from the entry. He pushed me away slightly and gripped my shoulders to look into my eyes, pressing my back against the counter.
"Val, I swear to you that I won't let anything happen to you." Jacob's jaw flexed. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I'm sorry I ever dragged you into this world."
It wasn't right. It wasn't right for Jacob to blame himself. Telling him was the right thing to do. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he could help me.
"Jake, I need to talk to you about something but we need to be alone and –"
"Jacob?" a voice called from the entrance of the kitchen. "Jake, what are you doing here?"
I turned to see Bella, Alice standing close behind her like a demon on her shoulder.
"I needed to see that you were safe, and that Valerie was safe."
"I thought you couldn't protect me here."
"I guess I just didn't care."
"Well, I'm not going to hurt her," Alice scoffed.
"No," Jacob rolled his eyes as he walked towards them in the entry, leaving me alone in the kitchen, but I continued to watch, unwilling to chime in. "No, you're just a 'harmless' Cullen. I'm talking about the other bloodsucker –"
"Jacob!" Bella's eyes widened as she nodded towards me with alarm. Alice grew uncomfortable beside her.
"Oh please," said Jacob. "How stupid do you think Val is? She already knows."
"What?" Alice squinted at me. "How? You know what, it's not of importance in comparison. Just tell me, what other vampire?"
"Victoria's, been around," Bella said plainly.
"Victoria?" Alice asked in shock. "I didn't see her! Bella, if Victoria keeps coming back here, your life is in danger."
"Yeah, no shit," Jacob huffed.
'Who the hell is Victoria?' I thought to myself.
"After what we did to James, she wants revenge," Bella nodded. "She wants to kill me. She sent Laurent, too."
"He's not a problem anymore," said Jacob to Alice. "We took care of him."
As the three talked, the phone on the wall rang, causing me to jump from my skin. I stepped towards the dining entrance and grabbed the phone, trying to get away from their arguing.
"Hello, Swan residence," I greeted shakily.
"Is Charlie available?" A smooth voice spoke through the receiver, sickly smooth.
"Um," I peered around the corner to look at the three before turning back. "No, he's not –"
"Where is he? When will he be back?"
"I don't know." I grew annoyed at the urgency of the person. "He's arranging a funeral so –"
There was a sudden high-pitched crackling and screeching followed by a deafening silence. I lowered the phone and stared at it with a furrowed brow before hanging it up. From the entry, I heard a gasp followed by Bella's panicked voice.
"Alice? Alice, what's wrong?" she held up the now fragile looking Alice. "Tell me what's happening."
"It's Edward," Alice clung to Bella's arm, blinking away the glossed over look that she had held when I first peered around the corner and began to move closer. "He's going to the Volturi. He thinks you're dead, and he wants to die too."
"What?" Bella stumbled. "No, no. He can't – why would he think that?"
"Rosalie told him why I came here, because I saw you jump off the cliff and –" she froze and shifted her eyes to me. "That call. Valerie, who was that?"
"I –" My voice locked in my throat. Saw Bella jump? That sickly sweet voice. It had sounded familiar.
"Valerie!" Bella shouted, rising a jump out of me. "Who was it?"
"H-he didn't say."
"Why didn't you let me speak to him?"
"Bella, stop!" Jacob stepped in. "It's not Val's fault if he didn't ask to speak to you!"
"You're the only one who can stop him, Bella." Alice grabbed her. "He won't believe anyone, he'll think we're all lying! We have to go. Where do you keep your passport?"
"In the drawer of my nightstand –"
In a flash, Alice was gone and a shuffling came from upstairs. There was barely any time to even react before she was down with one of Bella's duffle bags, filled. They both moved for the door.
"Wait, Bella," I followed them, bounding down the wet stairs, trailed by Jacob. "You can't be serious."
"I have to go, Valerie."
"Go where, exactly?"
"Italy."
"Italy!" I jumped in front of my cousin, grabbing her wrist. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Bella, you can't just leave like this. You're just going to go after him, after everything these past months?"
"I can't just let him kill himself," Bella argued as she shoved past me and jumped into Alice's car. "He doesn't deserve that."
"Did you deserve to be left for dead in the woods?" I yelled back at her. "Bella, what am I supposed to tell Charlie, huh? This is insane. He left you. He's a vampire!"
"Alice, drive," I could hear Bella say through the cracked window.
"No," I scowled, bolting in front of the car as they lurched forward. As I stood in the headlights I heard a growl erupt from Jacob who was still in the grass. From inside the car, the glare Bella tore into me. My chest heaved as I blocked their way. "Bella, I'm begging you. Don't do this. Please."
Alice looked softer at me and said something I couldn't hear to Bella, it looked like she actually agreed with me for a moment before my cousin screamed at her to drive. The car reversed suddenly, jolting forward with a swerve to avoid me. It was too quick for me to attempt to block them again. With squealing tires, Bella and Alice were gone in the black car, leaving me to stand in the middle of the road as the rain began to slowly drip from the sky with an ever-quickening pace.
"Shit!" Jacob yelled from the yard. I turned to look at him and we shared a sickened expression.
"Jake," my hands ran through my hair. "Jake, what do we do?"
His jaw clenched. "I don't know. You should stay in the house, lock all the doors. Call Charlie, maybe he will come back. But I need to go tell my pack."
"No," I moved forward. "No, please. Don't leave me here alone. Please, Jake."
"You'll be okay," he hugged me quickly, making me warm before taking away the comfort. "I have to go."
"No, Jake, you don't understand! Jake, stop! Jake!" My screams fell to a whisper and my body turned to ice in the absence of his warmth. "Please don't leave me like this."
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Authors Note: Alice is back, and Val is left to clean up the mess again! Dang, it's hard to hate on Alice... Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for all the comments! I appreciate every single one of you.